Written questions by Brewer.

Pursuant UIN 87565 what steps his Department is taking to address the challenges it has identified in the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for young people in supported accommodation, and whether a timetable has been set for considering potential reforms.

As confirmed at Autumn Budget, we will be introducing new earned income disregards for those in receipt of Housing Benefit and live in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation. This will help smooth the transition between the Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, and reduce the financial cliff edge for individuals in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation as they move into work or increase their hours. This will require legislative changes and be accompanied by IT changes made to local authority IT systems. In preparation for this, we have already begun engagement with stakeholders to ensure that the implementation meets the needs of those affected. This is accompanied by clear communications to support local authorities, housing providers and third sector organisations to ensure that eligible customers are aware of and able to utilise this change. The new disregards will be in place from Autumn 2026.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2025 to Question 94136, on Anti-social Behaviour and Vandalism: Children, what assessment her Department has made of the specific impact that access to youth services and after‑school clubs has on levels of vandalism and antisocial behaviour among under‑18s in North East Hampshire.

This Government recognises the important role that youth work, early intervention and having a trusted adult plays in young people’s lives.The Department has not done a specific assessment of the impact that access to youth services and after-school clubs has on levels of vandalism and antisocial behaviour among under-18s in North East Hampshire. However, DCMS research found that Local Authorities which have decreased their investment into youth saw increased incidences of bike theft, shoplifting, possession of weapon offences, and a higher proportion of young offenders who reoffend.In December 2025, we launched Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ a 10 year plan to ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. The majority of the funding underpinning the first steps of the Strategy will be available from next the financial year 2026/27. We will share more information as our plans develop.As part of the strategy, DCMS has committed £70 million over the next three years to support local authorities to rebuild a high-quality offer for young people and create a network of 50 Young Futures Hubs. These hubs will meet three outcomes of increasing opportunities, improving mental health and wellbeing, and reducing crime and antisocial behaviour.

What further steps his Department plans to take to reduce waiting times for people seeking psychological therapy to support their employment efforts; and what assessment his Department has made of whether additional measures are required to further reduce waiting times for psychological therapy services.

We recognise that some people experience long waits to access National Health Service mental health support, including psychological therapies that help people stay in, or return to, work. NHS Talking Therapies are the main national psychological therapy service for people with common mental health conditions. While the NHS is meeting the national access and waiting time standards of at least 75% of people starting treatment within six weeks of referral and at least 95% within 18 weeks, we know that waits within pathways, including between the first and second appointment, can be significant in some areas.Meeting national access standards is important, but we recognise that this alone will not address all delays experienced within psychological therapy pathways. Reducing waiting times requires a sustained and more systematic approach that focuses on increasing capacity, improving flow through services, and better integration with wider support, such as for people whose mental health is affecting their ability to work. That is why, for example, we have recruited over 8,000 additional mental health workers since July 2024.We are also strengthening NHS Talking Therapies with a greater focus on reducing waits within pathways, improving completion rates, and supporting better mental health and employment outcomes. This is supported by enhanced NHS England oversight to ensure funding is used to increase capacity and reduce waiting times.Progress on access and waiting times is monitored through existing NHS Talking Therapies national access standards and routine performance management. We have no plans to set additional targets specifically for employment related access to psychological therapies beyond the existing standards.

Pursuant to Answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 94124, on Electronic Travel Authorisations: Conferences and Trade Promotion, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme specifically on European business representatives seeking to attend trade events and conferences in the UK.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 25 November 2025 to Question UIN 94124.

What the timetable is for patients in areas currently without a fracture liaison service to gain access to one; and what milestones his Department has set to track progress towards universal provision.

Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local need. 13 new DEXA scanners were announced in May 2025. Beyond that, 20 new DEXA scanners funded in 2025 to 2026 were announced on 1 March 2026, as set out in the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy.Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030. Officials continue to work closely with NHS England to explore a range of options to provide better quality and access to these important preventative services.

What progress his Department has made on developing and publishing a detailed national implementation plan for the rollout of fracture liaison services to achieve 100% coverage across England by 2030.

Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local need. 13 new DEXA scanners were announced in May 2025. Beyond that, 20 new DEXA scanners funded in 2025 to 2026 were announced on 1 March 2026, as set out in the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy.Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030. Officials continue to work closely with NHS England to explore a range of options to provide better quality and access to these important preventative services.

Pursuant UIN 82150 what assessment her Department has made of the availability of discretionary transport support for children with special educational needs and disabilities who are not yet of compulsory school age, what guidance is provided to local authorities on exercising this discretion, and what potential impact variations in local authority budgets have on access to such support.

The department’s ‘Home-to-school travel’ statutory guidance makes clear that discretionary travel need not be limited to children of compulsory school age. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel-and-transport-guidance.

Food and Rural Affairs, when the consultation on banning trail hunting will begin.

Defra intends to publish the consultation as soon as practicable.

What recent assessments has the department made of the potential benefits of extending the meningitis B vaccination programme to teenagers.

Meningococcal disease is an uncommon but serious disease caused by meningococcal bacteria. The MenACWY vaccine offers good protection against several strains of meningococcal disease and is routinely offered to teenagers in school years 9 and 10. However, it does not protect against all strains. Other strains, such as Meningitis B (MenB), can circulate among young adults. From 2015, the MenB vaccine has been available on the National Health Service as part of routine childhood immunisations, but most students would not be vaccinated.Decisions on vaccination programmes follow independent expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI does not currently recommend a routine MenB booster vaccination for adolescents and young adults, however the JCVI routinely reviews new evidence as it emerges and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will ask them to reexamine eligibility for meningitis vaccines.The importance of raising awareness in parents, teenagers and other adults about the signs and symptoms of meningitis remains key. There are a range of resources developed by the UK Health Security Agency, co-branded with the National Health Service, that set out these key messages and their importance, such as the teenage guide to immunisation.

What steps her Department is taking to help support businesses experiencing financial stress that are awaiting a non‑domestic rates revaluation; and what the average time frame is for rates revaluations on non-domestic rates.

Every three years the Valuation Office Agency carries out a revaluation of non-domestic properties. The 2026 revaluation is due to come into effect on 1 April 2026, based on values from 1 April 2024. In recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion, to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase. The Government is introducing new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. These new multipliers are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.

How much and what proportion of funding for low-income oil heating households through the Community Recovery Fund will be allocated to North East Hampshire constituency.

Support for households dependent on heating oil is being delivered through the Crisis and Resilience Fund. The Community Recovery Fund launched in September 2024 to support those communities impacted by the public disorder that took place between July and August 2024. The Community Recovery Fund will not be used support low-income oil heating households’.

What methodology will be used to determine the distribution of funding through the Crisis and Resilience Fund for low-income oil heating households; and whether households in North East Hampshire constituency will be eligible.

In England, £27 million of funding will be delivered via the Crisis and Resilience Fund to support low-income households reliant on oil for heating. £842 million a year was already committed through the Crisis and Resilience Fund at Spending Review 2025, which all unitary and upper tier authorities in England will already receive funding from to support vulnerable and low-income households with financial shocks, including increases to essential costs such as energy. Funding has been allocated to local authorities in a way that accounts for deprivation levels as measured by the Index of Multiple Deprivation and the number of households using heating oil according to census data. To ensure the funding is targeted where it is most needed, only local authorities where more than 1% of the population use heating oil for central heating will receive the additional funding. Hampshire has been allocated £586,569 to distribute to households the local authority considers most in need. Figures will also be published on gov.uk in due course and we have shared this information with all councils that will receive funding.

Innovation and Technology, what measures are being taken to ensure that the withdrawal of 3G services does not leave gaps in mobile coverage, and how the Government is accelerating the availability of 5G to address these gaps.

All 3G networks in the UK have now been switched off. EE and Vodafone switched off 3G in February 2024, Three in November 2025, and VMO2 in February 2026. Ofcom’s expectation of the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) was that they would provide broadly equivalent levels of coverage after switching off 3G. As reported in its 2025 Connected Nations report, Ofcom has received very few complaints from customers about the 3G switch-off. The mobile industry has not reported to Ofcom any significant disruption.The 3G switch-off released spectrum to be reallocated to improve the newer and more efficient 4G and 5G networks.The MNOs have committed significant investment which aligns with the Government's ambition of all populated areas being able to access higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. We continue to work with network operators to ensure this investment translates into benefits for communities right across the UK. In parallel, we are continuing work to identify and address barriers to deployment where it is practical to do so.

In pursuant to the Answer to Question104912, what recent progress her Department has made on updating the Early Years Foundation Stage framework; and whether she plans to introduce new (a) statutory requirements, (b) strengthened inspection processes and (c) mandatory CCTV in early‑years settings.

We keep the early years foundation stage (EYFS) frameworks, under ongoing review. The EYFS frameworks can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.Following safeguarding updates in September 2025, we are working on making the safe sleep requirements clearer by adding the essential details in the frameworks themselves. Subject to the parliamentary and legislative process, the updated frameworks would come into force from September 2026.Ofsted began inspecting under the revised education inspection framework in November 2025 to assess whether providers are meeting statutory EYFS requirements and taking appropriate action to keep children safe. Settings now receive an Ofsted report card following an inspection.As of April 2026, we are funding Ofsted to inspect all new early years providers within 18 months of opening and to move towards inspecting all providers at least once every four years, compared to the previous six-year window. Ofsted is also receiving further investment to improve inspection quality and consistency through stronger quality assurance and targeted inspector training.The EYFS requires providers to have safeguarding policies that address the use of mobile phones, cameras and other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities. An expert advisory panel has been established to review how CCTV and digital devices are used in early years settings from a safeguarding perspective.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing MPs with formal opportunity to scrutinise the annual changes to pension thresholds for eligible pensions that live overseas.

The Social Security Benefits up-rating Regulations 2026 are consequential on the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026. The regulations are subject to the negative procedure. They were laid on 6 March 2026 and will come into force on the same date as the Up-rating Order on 6 April 2026. This is a convention that has been in place for a number of years including under the Lib Dem coalition.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer to Question UIN 102267, what progress has been made on the development of the withdrawal scheme for owners wishing to de‑register dogs incorrectly classified as XL Bullies; when her Department expects to publish information on the scheme; and what indicative timeframe has been set for making these details publicly available.

Defra is continuing to develop a withdrawal scheme so that owners who no longer believe that their dog is an XL Bully type can apply to have their certificate of exemption withdrawn. Defra does not have a definitive timeline for when this process will be available. Officials are working diligently to develop the withdrawal scheme as soon as possible and further details will be shared once finalised.

What assessment she has been made of the impact of proposed changes to the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain on international nursing staff; and what steps the Department is taking to ensure the UK can retain the nursing workforce.

The consultation for the earned settlement model, as proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was open to the public between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026.As part of this consultation, we sought views on the potential impact of the proposed changes, including the impact on international nursing staff.We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received.  This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement.Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.  As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both economic and equality impact assessments.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the sustainability of fire and rescue services in England over the next three years; and what steps he plans to take to address budget deficits facing fire and rescue authorities.

The 2026/27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available almost £1.95 billion in core spending power (CSP) for standalone fire and rescue authorities (excluding York & North Yorkshire and Greater Manchester). This was the first multi-year funding Settlement in 10 years, giving services the certainty to plan and invest for the long term. In 2026/27, all standalone services will see an above inflation increase in CSP, with services seeing CSP increases between 3.8% and 7.7% compared to 2025/26. By the end of the multi-year period, we will have provided a 12.75% increase in CSP compared to 2025/26. Decisions on how resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each fire and rescue authority. The Ministry will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure that fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

What steps his Department is taking to support newly qualified allied health professionals, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and radiographers, in securing employment following the completion of their training placements.

Decisions on the employment of newly qualified allied health professionals are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are working closely with NHS England, employers and educators to improve transition into the workforce.

Pursuant to the Answer to Question 94138, what steps her Department is taking to achieve the 18‑minute Category 2 ambulance response target in North East Hampshire; and when she expects that target to be met.

The Medium-Term Planning Framework states that by 2028/29, nationally Category 2 incidents will be responded to in an average of 18 minutes, with 90% of responses within 40 minutes. These targets will ensure patients in urgent need receive care more quickly, wherever they are. We expect all ambulance trusts, including the South Central Ambulance Service, to contribute to meeting this ambition, with more specific targets set out in individual planning returns.National Health Service performance figures for the South-Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS), which serves North- East Hampshire, show that this financial year to date, from April 2025 to February 2026, Category 2 incidents were responded to in 30 minutes 18 seconds on average. This is over two minutes faster than the same period last year.SCAS has set out a range of improvement initiatives, closely aligned with actions in the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, to improve ambulance response times, such as expanding hear and treat.